Then and Now
by jlm110108
Summary: The Eppes men go on vacation and spend time bonding. Some Don whumping and a touch of angst. This was a fic to order requested by 3rdgal. The idea of Charlie being strong for Don was hers, as was the camping injury and Charlie & Alan reminiscing.


The helicopter hovered over a beautiful two story log house. The pilot said, "Gentlemen, here's your home for the next five days. The stream over there is well stocked. Mr. Conger loves fishing. The shed down there behind the cabin has got an assortment of fishing gear. Over there, about half a mile away is a great cliff face if you're into rock climbing. There's also climbing gear in the shed. I'll put us down next to the cabin..."

Don laughed. "Cabin? That looks more like a mansion."

The pilot laughed. "Mr. Conger enjoys his recreation, and he loves playing the host to his honored guests. I have it on good authority that Mr. Conger was very impressed with the work your dad did for him."

"It was an honor to work for a client like Mr. Conger," Alan said. "Mike, are you going to see him tonight?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be taking him to a meeting tonight."

"Well, make sure you tell him my sons and I are very grateful for this."

"I will," Mike said as he landed the helicopter on a small helipad next to the cabin. He helped them unload their luggage and gave them a quick tour of the grounds. "Your cell phones probably won't work up here, but there's a phone here, and a two way radio," he led them into a small room off the kitchen. "The instructions are all here. If you need to get out of here before Friday, or if you need me to bring you anything, this sheet tells you how to contact me."

Alan, Don and Charlie accompanied Mike back to the helicopter and watched him take off. As the helicopter disappeared beyond the trees, Charlie took a deep breath, "Wow, Dad. This place is incredible! I wonder if it has wi-fi."

"Charlie!" Alan scolded. "You are not going to sit inside using your computer all day."

"Yeah, Chuck," Don said, "go outside and play!" He pulled out his cell phone and glanced at the screen. "Mike was right. No service."

"Good!" Alan said, "So there won't be any FBI emergencies interrupting our family time! Why don't you save your battery and turn that thing off?" He pulled his own cell phone out and turned it off. "See. It's not that hard. Maybe we should even put our wristwatches away until Friday."

"Oh my gosh," Charlie said, glancing at Don. "Parting Don from his cell phone and his watch might just cause a ripple in the space-time continuum."

"Cute, Chuck. I could say the same about parting you from your laptop."

"All right, boys," Alan said, "let's get settled and get this vacation started. I intend to spend the day fishing. How about you two?"

"I don't know," Don said. "I was thinking of checking out that cliff face. Chuck, you feel like doing some rock climbing?"

Charlie gnawed at his lower lip. "I don't know. Why don't we just go hiking?"

"Chicken!" Don taunted, laughing "I thought you said you were working on getting over your fear of rock climbing."

"Donnie, that's not nice," Alan scolded. "Why don't you hike today and try rock climbing later in the week? You probably should have a look at the cliff before you decide to tackle it anyway."

"Dad's right," Charlie said. "We can't just jump into this."

Don and Charlie kept bickering good-naturedly as they selected bedrooms and put their belongings away. They helped their dad pick out fishing gear, and then they headed off in the direction of the rock climbing cliff. "We might as well have a look before you chicken out on that too, Chuck," Don taunted.

"You are so dead!" Charlie yelled as he ran toward his brother.

The two of them ran off laughing as Alan shook his head and settled down next to the stream. "Kids," he chuckled.

As Don stared up at the cliff face, Charlie snuck a glance at him. He grinned at the shocked expression on his big brother's face. "It looks a lot more imposing close up, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Don said. "Maybe we'll stick with hiking and fishing." He turned and grinned at Charlie. "Sorry I called you a chicken back there."

Charlie shrugged. "That's what big brothers are for. Come on. Let's follow that trail over there. It looks like it goes up to the top of the cliff. I'll bet the view is awesome from up there.

"Sounds good to me." Don checked his watch. "We've got about an hour before we should head back. We don't want to be wandering around unfamiliar territory in the dark."

"Good point. I think we can make it to the top, if you're up to it, old man."

"Old man?!" Don gave Charlie a playful shove and ran up the trail ahead of him.

Charlie caught up with Don and passed him, laughing. "Yeah, old man!" Then he stopped and waited. "Come on, Bro. Let's walk up together."

They walked quietly for a while, then Don put his arm around Charlie's shoulders. Charlie looked up in surprise. "What?" he said.

"I"m glad Dad arranged this little trip for us. It's been a long time since we've just had time to hang out together."

"Yeah, it has. No classes, no tests to write, no seminars..."

"No serial killers, no terrorists, no bombers..."

Charlie raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "So what are we going to talk about?"

Don laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know. We'll think of something."

They walked in companionable silence for a few more minutes, then their attention was attracted by a rustling noise a few yards off the trail. They stopped and watched until a doe came out from behind the undergrowth. The doe stared at them, deciding if they were a threat. She must have determined that they were safe, because she strolled away, stopping every few steps to graze.

Don and Charlie stood, quietly watching until she disappeared from view. "Wow," Don said softly. "She was beautiful."

"Yes, she was." The trail wound higher and higher, and became narrower as they ascended. Soon they were on a path only five feet wide with dropoffs on both sides. By silent agreement, they stopped walking side by side. Don walked in front, occasionally stopping to point out an interesting sight to Charlie.

Suddenly, Don stopped and pointed to a rocky ledge about a football field away. "Charlie! Look! There's an eagle."

"Where?" Charlie squinted at the cliff, coming alongside Don.

Don turned, and his foot connected with a loose rock on the edge of the path. His ankle turned and he lost his balance. Charlie grabbed Don's left arm and tried to pull him away from the edge. But Don outweighed him, and started sliding down the hill. Charlie hung on, and was slammed to the ground. The impact jarred his grip on Don's arm, and Don tumbled down the slope. "Don!" Charlie yelled, pushing himself to his feet, and starting to scramble down the slope after his brother.

When he reached Don's side, Charlie dropped to his knees. "Don!" Don was curled up on his side, and Charlie could see blood on his forehead. He followed the trail of blood through Don's hair and found a bleeding lump. He took of his own jacket and used the sleeve to dab at the blood. The cut didn't appear to be deep, he didn't like the look of the lump. He brushed his fingers across Don's cheek and lifted each eyelid. The pupils were the same size and responsive. Charlie sighed in relief. Don held his left arm cradled against his chest. Charlie gently probed the arm. It was broken.

Don groaned and opened his eyes, trying in vain to focus on his brother. "Charlie... what happened?"

"You fell. You're going to be okay. I think your arm is broken."

"I think you're right," Don murmured as he flexed his left hand. He reached up with his right hand to touch the lump on his head. "Ow."

"Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My ankle. I think it might be broken."

"Okay. Anything else hurt?"

Don smiled feebly. "I think I'm one giant bruise from head to toe."

"Probably. You somersaulted about thirty feet down a rocky slope. Listen, I'm going to use my jacket to make a sling for your arm. Then I'm going to get you out of here."

"How, Buddy? You gonna carry me?"

"Not hardly. I'll help you walk. We'll make it."

"Dad's gonna have a fit."

"Yeah, well, at least we didn't do something dangerous like rock climbing. Okay, I'm going to lift your arm."

Don hissed in pain as Charlie slipped his jacket under Don's arm. When Charlie hesitated, Don said, "Keep going. It's got to be done." Charlie nodded and laid Don's arm back on his chest. He lifted Don's head and shoulders so he could slip a jacket sleeve behind his neck. Charlie tied the two sleeves in a square knot behind Don's neck.

"Okay, Don. Let's sit you up." He slipped one hand behind Don's head, and the other behind his good shoulder and eased him into a sitting position. Don swayed and closed his eyes. "It's okay. Just take deep breaths. I've got you." After a few moments, Charlie said, "You ready to try standing up?"

"Yeah," Don whispered. "Let's give it a try."

Charlie stood and held his right hand for Don to grab. Don shifted his right leg and took Charlie's hand. With a great deal of grunting and struggling, they managed to get Don to his feet. Charlie held him as he fought against dizziness and nausea. Charlie noticed that the path wound its way past where they stood and curved back just ten feet from where they stood, saving them from having to struggle back up the hill.

Just as they reached the path, the wind started to pick up and Charlie felt a few raindrops. "Damn," he murmured. "Don, we're going to have to pick up the pace."

"Mmhmm," Don murmured. "Sure, Charlie."

By the time they reached the bottom of the trail, Charlie was soaked through and shivering. Don's eyes were closed, and he leaned heavily on Charlie as he numbly hobbled on his one good foot. "Hey, Bro, we're almost there," Charlie tried to sound encouraging.

"Good," Don muttered.

It was almost dark, and the rain was pelting them. Charlie noticed a light in the distance. "I see the cabin, Don! We're almost there."

Don didn't answer this time. His head lolled against Charlie's shoulder, as Charlie dragged him toward the light. When the light became an open doorway, with a silhouetted figure standing in front of it, Charlie yelled, "Dad!" Don flinched against him, and Charlie murmured an apology before yelling again, "DAD! Help!"

The figure ran toward them, and moments later, Alan was helping Charlie carry Don into the cabin. They laid Don gently on the couch. Alan brought blankets to cover Don, and Charlie ran to the radio room to call Mike.

When Charlie had explained the situation to the pilot, Mike said, "I'm grounded right now. The weather. Can Don hang on until morning?"

Charlie hesitated. "I think so. His arm is broken. His ankle is either broken or sprained, and I think he has a concussion."

"Okay, listen. None of that is life threatening. There's enough medical supplies in the room you're in now to keep him through the night. If he gets worse, call me back. If I don't hear from you, I'll plan on being there at sunrise tomorrow. Okay? Can you handle it?"

Charlie cleared his throat. "Yeah. We can handle it. Thanks, Mike."

He sighed and went back into the living room, where Alan had gotten Don out of his wet clothes, and covered him with blankets. Charlie found himself blinking back tears of frustration as he told Alan and Don what Mike had said.

Don stared at Charlie in confusion. "We can't get help before the morning?"

Charlie brushed Don's cheek. "I'm sorry. It's the weather, and the dark. He can't fly tonight. But he'll be here at sunrise tomorrow."

Don closed his eyes and bit his lip. "It's not your fault, Charlie. I'll be okay." He took a shaky breath and sighed. "I'll be fine, Buddy."

Charlie turned pain-filled eyes to Alan. "Dad, there's got to be something we can do."

"You go get into some dry clothes while I check out the medical supplies. We'll do what we can to make your brother comfortable. Supper's ready whenever you feel like eating."

"I'm not hungry," Charlie grumbled as he walked to his bedroom.

"You must be starving. You will eat, young man. We're going to need to take turns staying up with Donnie, and you'll need to keep up your strength."

"Yes, Father," Charlie said, struggling to hide a grin. Leaving his wet, muddy clothes in a heap next to the bed, Charlie changed into several layers of the warmest clothes he had brought with him. He was still shivering when he returned to the living room.

"Charlie! Come sit by the fire and warm yourself up. You'll catch your death. Say, Mike wasn't kidding about the first aid supplies. Look at what I found." Alan held up some four inch wide strips of blue and orange foam.

"What on earth are those?" Charlie asked.

"They're called SAM splints. I've been reading the instructions while you were changing. Come on and help. We'll get splints on Donnie's arm and leg."

"Splints? With those chunks of foam rubber?"

Alan handed Charlie one of the splints. "These, my boy, are engineered based on the physics of curved surfaces. There is a core of aluminum alloy inside that you shape to support the injured limb. Watch and learn." Alan took a three foot long splint, bent it in half, and curved it to fit his arm. "Grab that Ace bandage."

When they had their supplies in hand, they turned to Don. "He looks so peaceful, I hate to disturb him," Charlie said as he gently pulled the blankets down.

Don moaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Dad?"

"Right here, Donnie. Listen, we're going to put a splint on that arm of yours. We'll be as careful as we can, but I'm afraid it's going to hurt."

"'s okay," Don said. "Charlie? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Don. Just a little cold."

"Yeah, me too." Don grimaced as Alan carefully lifted his arm. "Ow."

"Sorry, Donnie. Charlie, put the splint under here. That's good. Okay, wrap it. Not too tight." Don gasped and moaned as Charlie wrapped the Ace bandage around the splint. "It's okay, Donnie. We'll be done in a minute."

"Dad," Charlie said, "did you find anything we can give Don for the pain?"

Alan nodded. "Nothing very strong. Extra strength acetaminophen." Charlie rolled his eyes and Alan continued. "I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing. Go get some water. Meanwhile I'll do what I can about that cut on his head."

When Charlie returned with the glass of water, Alan had cleaned the blood away and laid a gauze pad over the cut. They gave Don the acetaminophen and let him settle back down to sleep.

Charlie wrapped a blanket around himself and sat on the floor next to the couch. Alan went to the kitchen and returned with two plates. "Here. We can't let my catch of the day go to waste. Mike wasn't kidding about that stream being well stocked. I hope you like trout."

"Thanks," Charlie took the plate and smiled up at Alan. "Pan fried trout and German potato salad? It looks great."

"And I thought you weren't hungry."

"Gotta keep up my strength." He turned so he could keep an eye on Don as he ate. When they finished, Charlie stood and took their plates to the kitchen. "Can I get you anything, Dad?"

Alan sighed. "A helicopter would be nice. But barring that, a cup of coffee will do."

Charlie found the coffee maker and filled two cups. He sat back on the floor next to Don and wrapped the blanket around himself. Don moaned and stirred. Charlie squeezed Don's hand and murmured, "It's okay, Don. We're here. Just a few more hours and the helicopter will be here." Charlie held Don's hand and watched his older brother drift back to sleep. He jumped when Alan touched his shoulder.

"He'll be okay, Charlie."

"I know."

"Why don't you lie down for a while? I'll stay up with him."

"No. I ... I owe him. I owe him big time, Dad."

"For what?"

Charlie sighed. "Remember the summer before we started high school?"

"How could I forget? You two fought like cats and dogs all summer long. You were so excited about starting high school with your big brother, and Don..."

"Don was mortified," Charlie said with a sigh. "Looking back, I can't say as I blame him. High school was a big step, and here he was saddled with his baby brother tagging along. But I was too self-absorbed back then..."

"Back then?" Alan snorted. "Sorry. I was just teasing."

"All I thought about was how great it would be to be with Donnie all day. How we could do homework together, go to games, go to dances."

"Dances? Charlie, you were only nine. You know your mother and I would never let you go to a dance."

"I know that now. But I didn't know it then. Anyway, Don had an entirely different concept of what it would be like. That summer, he spent a lot of time setting me straight."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really. Of course, he waited until we were alone before he'd start the lecture. But he made it clear that I was not to hang out with him. He explained that I was still his little brother, and we could do stuff together at home. But under no circumstances was I to approach him at school. Luckily we didn't have a lot of classes in common."

"The guidance counselor planned it that way. She said putting siblings in the same classes was rarely successful. And you were in advanced math and science classes."

"That bugged Don, too," Charlie said tenderly gazing at his brother's sleeping face. "He's really smart, you know? But he never feels smart because of me."

"Anyone comparing himself to you would feel stupid, Charlie. So what happened that summer?"

"Well, remember we all went camping?"

"Yes, I do. Your mother was afraid you two were growing up too fast, and soon you wouldn't want to do family stuff together. It was fun. At least until you sprained your ankle." Alan paused as he took a sip of coffee. "It was fun for you, wasn't it? I mean, were there any brotherly spats I don't know about?"

Charlie grinned. "Not really. Just the normal 'he's breathing my air' kind of debates."

"I don't understand what you think you owe Don."

Charlie touched Don's cheek, and studied his face. Assured that Don was deep asleep, he said, "We were down by the beach when I sprained my ankle. At first he thought I was faking, you know, trying to get sympathy. He started to run off. He was going to leave me behind, and I panicked. I started to cry. He stopped, and yelled at me. He called me a big baby. He said it was stupid to let me go to high school." He studied Don's face again before continuing. "But he came back for me. When he helped me up, I told him he was right. I told him I was going to beg you and mom to let me stay in junior high. At that moment, I had an inkling of what a nightmare high school was going to be, and it scared me half to death."

"What did he say?" Alan asked.

"He told me that if I did that, he'd beat the crap out of me himself. He said if anyone was ready for high school, it was me." Charlie smiled at the recollection. "He said, and I quote, 'Heck, Chuck. You're probably ready for college.'" Charlie squeezed Don's hand. "And he promised that if anyone touched me, they would have to answer to him. Then he practically carried me back to you and mom."

Don stirred and opened his eyes. "What time is it?" he murmured.

Charlie checked his watch. "Almost midnight. Can you hang in for a few more hours?"

"Sure." Don squeezed Charlie's hand. "Aren't you two bored sitting here watching me sleep?"

"Not at all," Alan said. "We're just reminiscing about the good old days."

"Good old days," Don muttered. "Sounds good to me." His eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep again.

Charlie stood and stretched. "Would you like more coffee, Dad?"

Alan nodded and handed Charlie his cup. "There's a bag of chocolate chip cookies in the cupboard. Why don't you bring those in too."

Charlie returned a few minutes later with a cup in each hand and the bag of cookies under his arm. "I started another pot. I think we're going to need it."

Charlie handed Alan his cup and the cookies, then settled back down next to the couch. This time he didn't wrap himself in the blanket.

"You're finally warming up?" Alan asked, handing Charlie the bag of cookies.

"Yeah." Charlie helped himself to a stack of cookies and handed the bag back to his father. He bit into a cookie, closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch as he chewed.

Alan smiled as he watched his sons. They weren't always inseparable. In fact, there was a time, not too many years ago that he despaired of ever seeing them together again. He'd heard each of them dismiss that period as 'just losing touch.' But he knew better.

"What are you thinking about?" Charlie asked.

"How nice it is to see the two of you together like this. Helping each other, working together."

Charlie smiled. "Yeah, it is nice."

"It wasn't always this way. I was just thinking about what it was like when Donnie was in Albuquerque."

Charlie shrugged. "We just lost touch..."

Alan shook his head vehemently. "That's what you always say. But that's not all of it, is it?"

"No. It isn't. We didn't understand each other. We were each in our own orbits, and those orbits never intersected."

"But they intersect now, don't they."

"Yeah. They do." Charlie took a sip of coffee. "I'm glad they started intersecting before it was too late."

"Too late?"

"Eventually, we would have become so involved in our own worlds, we wouldn't have had the motivation to even contact each other."

Alan suddenly saw where this was going. "But there was an event that forced you to intersect."

Charlie bit his lip and nodded. "Mom came down with cancer," he whispered.

Alan put his coffee cup down and stood. After stretching, he walked over and sat on the floor next to Charlie. He glanced at Don, who was still sleeping. "I know that was devastating for you. It was devastating for all of us."

Charlie nodded, not daring to meet his father's gaze.

"But at least something good came out of it. And now that you both know how important your relationship is, you won't drift apart again."

Don stirred. "Who's drifitng?"

Charlie chuckled. "You're drifting, Bro. You need anything?"

"More acetaminophen?"

Alan checked his watch. "Sure, why not?"

"I'll get it," Charlie said, struggling to his feet. "You want water with it?"

"I guess beer is out of the question..." Don said.

"I don't know," Charlie said, grinning. "Dad, how about those old movies where they use rotgut whiskey as a painkiller?"

"You want to trust your brother's well-being to Hollywood?"

Don chuckled. "Now that you mention it, water's fine. What time is it?"

Alan checked his watch. "Three thirty. You hanging in there?"

"Yeah. I can't believe you guys are still awake."

"Me either. A couple of pots of coffee and a bag of chocolate chip cookies will do wonders."

"Any word from Mike?"

"Not since Charlie called him. You going to be able to make it until sunrise?"

Don sighed. "I'm gonna have to."

Charlie returned with a glass of water and the bottle of acetaminophen. "I couldn't find any straws. You want to try sitting up?"

"Sure." Don grimaced as Alan helped him sit. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, fighting nausea. When he opened his eyes, he saw Charlie, holding four tablets out for him. "Thanks, Buddy." Don popped the tablets into his mouth and took the glass from Charlie. After he washed the tablets down, he said, "Can't they do anything about the flavor of those things? They're nasty."

Alan chuckled. "But if they made them taste better, you'd be popping them three or four at a time."

"Funny, Dad," Don said. "Help me lie back down."

"What?" Charlie said, "You haven't had enough sleep?"

"No. Only an idiot would be up at this hour."

"Well," Alan said, easing Don back down, "it looks like we have three idiots here, then."

"Soon to be two," Don murmured. "Night."

"Charlie," Alan said, "give me a hand up. This floor is too hard. I don't know how you can sit here all night."

Charlie helped Alan to his feet and then sat back down. "I'm a lot younger than you are."

"Watch it, baby boy. I'm still your father."

"True," Charlie slouched back against the couch. "And I don't know if I've told you lately how glad I am that you are." Charlie grinned. "Was that sentence too convoluted to make sense?"

"It made perfect sense to me, Charlie," Alan said.

"We're probably both too tired to be coherent."

"Probably," Alan said. He smiled as Charlie's eyes began to close. He ate another cookie and watched as his two boys slept. He allowed himself to doze, knowing that if Don so much as moved, Charlie would be wide awake instantaneously.

Some time later, Alan sat up, not really sure what had awakened him. He stood and stretched, looking out the window. It was getting light out. Then he heard the distinctive sound of helicopter blades. "Don, Charlie, wake up. Mike's here."

Charlie woke with a start. "Why'd you let me sleep?"

"You needed it. Now, rise and shine, sleepyhead. We're going to be leaving in a few minutes."

By sunset, they had returned to the cabin. Don's left arm was in a cast, his head was bandaged, and his right ankle was stabilized by an aircast. Charlie and Alan helped him into the cabin and got him settled on the couch.

"Now, Donnie," Alan said, "you are to sit. Keep that leg elevated, and if you need anything, ask your brother."

Charlie scowled, "Me? I was going to get some sleep."

"No, my baby boy, as you so eloquently reminded me last night, you are a lot younger than I am. You will wait on your big brother hand and foot while I take my old, feeble body to bed

"But..."

"And if you're lucky, I'll be awake in about eight hours to take my turn. Goodnight, boys."

Charlie sighed as he dropped into the chair.

"Charlie?" Don said, in his best whiny brat voice, "I'm thirsty."

Charlie groaned, and stood. "What would you like, sir? And don't say beer."

"Coke."

Charlie returned, handed Don the Coke and sat on the floor next to the couch. "Here you go."

"So, what'd you and Dad talk about last night? I think I heard about thirty seconds of your conversation."

Charlie shrugged. "I guess if I were to put it in twenty five words or less..."

"Twenty five words or less? You?"

"... I would say we talked about then and now. I told Dad about that time I sprained my ankle when we were camping."

"Charlie! You didn't tell him how mean I was, did you?"

"A little bit. But the important thing was how you looked out for me."

"What on earth made you think of that? I mean, that was like over twenty years ago. You were, what, nine? Ten?"

"I was nine. But after what happened, with you falling, I remembered that day like it was yesterday. And all the sniping at each other, all the nastiness was unimportant. You were there for me then. And I wanted to be here for you now."

"Hey, Charlie?"

"Yeah, Don?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"You are on your own there, Brother!"


End file.
